The Responsible Use of Social Media

Source: http://olliebray.typepad.com/

From snail mails and old school telephone lines, the world now has social media. This innovation allowed us to access the world at our fingertips – one click is all we need and we can now know the latest happenings in the world, share our opinions and views for everyone to see, and even update our friends and relatives about our life.

If we are to assess this technological advancement, we will eventually realize that just like any inventions, we need to use social media with care and responsibility. We may not see at first the power it possesses, but we need to understand that everything that is used carelessly will lead to negative results.

How do we make ourselves responsible social media users? We compiled some Do’s and Don’t’s for social media users that we think could help ourselves become mature netizens.

Spread Love, Not Hate – Social Media is all about sharing. And since sharing is giving, it is best if we use social media as a tool to send good vibes and positive stories. Bashing? Bullying? Ranting? Leave all those behind. Let us make this world a better place to live.

Use Moderately – While social media provides us a way to reach out and tell our stories, please remember that our life does not depend on it. Too much social media is a form of addiction, and we all know that addiction is not good. Take some time off online and do other productive activities that will help you become the best version of yourself.

The Official Logo of GMA News’ Think Before You Click Campaign. Photo from Behance.com

Think Before You Click – This is a popular campaign slogan of GMA Network that promotes responsible actions on social media websites by forcing the public to reflect upon their decisions and how they will affect others. While we are given the freedom to say whatever it is that we want, we should always take into consideration the effect of our post to ourselves and others. So before posting, take time to think first!

No to TMI – There are life stories that are worth sharing, but not all. So refrain sharing confidential or sensitive information such as IDs, birth certificates, school transcripts and more as these may cause harm to you or your family. Also, posting your own location can also be harmful. Remember, social media and the web are all for public’s consumption. This means that all information that a person shares on his/her page is for everybody’s viewing, including those people who don’t mean well.